Unequivocally
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Things are changing, slowly but surely. Tony can be patient when it's important. Warning for panic attacks.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.**

 **Beta'd by the lovely Sam**

 **Word Count - 1406**

 _Written for Liza, who requested TonyBruce with_ _"That's... considerate. What did you do?" for the Drabble Game. Hope you like it, hun._

* * *

 **Unequivocally**

* * *

The air in the room was all gone and Tony clawed at his throat, desperate to catch a breath. The walls were closing in, and he felt so completely sure that he was about to die.

"Tony, come on sweetheart, you're okay," a voice said. He recognised the voice, but he wasn't sure why and it was so far away. He wanted to believe the voice, but he couldn't because he was dying and he couldn't breathe.

Why couldn't he breathe?

His lungs had failed him, compacted and crushed and his arc reactor had failed, it must have done, maybe he'd had a heart attack and that's why he was dying. He didn't know, he couldn't work out why or how but he knew that he was about to take his last breath and he was _scared_.

"Breathe with me, Tony," the voice murmured. "In, hold, and out. There you go sweetheart, you've got this. And again. In, hold, and out. In, hold, and out."

Tony blinked, and scrambled backwards when there was a body close to his own. He blinked again and the room seemed to come into better focus. Bruce was crouched near by, a concerned expression on his face.

"Tony?"

"I'm okay," Tony gasped. "I'm okay. I'm okay."

Bruce nodded. "You're fine, Tony. Keep breathing nice and even, okay."

Tony nodded, concentrating on his breathing. When he'd calmed, when he'd wiped the dampness from his cheeks and his breathing only hurt his chest a little, he met Bruce's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

Bruce frowned. "What are you sorry for?"

"You're not here to deal with my freak outs," Tony muttered.

"Tony, you're my…" he trailed off for a moment before rallying himself. "You're my Tony, and I'm here for whatever you need me here for."

Tony's lips quirked at 'my Tony'. He supposed it was accurate. If asked, he would say he was Bruce's. Just Bruce's, because they hadn't quite worked out the parameters of their relationship.

Sometimes, Bruce wanted company and quiet, and sometimes he was more open to the brush of a hand on his arm or an arm around his shoulders. Forever worried about 'the other guy,' Bruce often eschewed all physical contact, and Tony understood that.

He wished it could be different, wished that Bruce trusted himself like Tony trusted him, but Tony wouldn't push it. He was hardly the person at the front of the confidence queue, no matter how he acted in front of the press.

This latest episode only proved that.

"Can you tell me what triggered you?" Bruce asked, once he was sure Tony was calm.

"The water splashed in my face," Tony muttered, nodding to the lab table he'd been working at. "I wasn't expecting it."

Bruce, to his credit, simply nodded his head. "Come on, let's go and get some food and chill out in front of the tv for a while. I've got a craving for tapas and Star Trek."

Tony could only follow him from the lab, wondering what he'd done to have such a wonderful person in his life.

…

Tony stumbled out of the lift and towards the communal kitchen in search of coffee. He'd just finished a thirty hour lab binge, and while he would very much like to sleep, he had a meeting in just over an hour and if he missed it, Pepper would _kill him._

Dead.

And then bring him back to life to attend the next meeting.

So. Coffee.

Except the kitchen was already occupied by a bleary eyed Bruce who had bags under his eyes the size of the 'green guy's' pecs.

"What's up?" Tony asked, or at least tried to ask. He wasn't sure if he'd actually managed to English.

"Nightmares," Bruce muttered.

Tony hmm'ed as the machine poured his coffee. Sipping it, he eyes Bruce. "Wanna talk about it?"

Bruce shook his head.

"Okay. Wanna science?"

"You've got a meeting."

Tony shrugged. "Pepper can only kill me, it's fine. Come on, lemme show you what I've been working on."

…

"I fetched coffee and bagels," Tony announced as he entered the lab.

"That's... considerate. What did you do?"

Tony laughed. "Nothing you'll disapprove of, I'm sure."

"No but really, what did you do?"

Tony mumbled a reply and handed over the goods, ignoring Bruce's raised eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"I might've had all your things moved into the room next to mine in case you have anymore nightmares because I don't like you being alone when you have nightmares and if you're next door I can hear you and come see you and -"

Bruce leant over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

…

"Tony! Tony, wake up!"

Tony sat up in the bed, sweat pouring from him. He looked around, wild eyed and scared.

Bruce sat on the side of the bed. "It's just me, Tony, you're okay, it was just a nightmare."

Breathing heavily, Tony slumped back against the pillows. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Bruce. I had you moved up here to help with _your_ nightmares, not for you to have to deal with mine."

"Hey," Bruce chastised softly. "It's fine, I wasn't sleeping anyway, but even if I was it would still be fine."

Tony shook his head but didn't reply as his breathing evened out. "Ew, I'm gross," he muttered, wiping away the dampness on his forehead. "I need to shower. I probably won't sleep again tonight, so I won't interrupt you when you do sleep."

"Tony -"

Tony shook his head as he got out of bed and padded to his bathroom, closing the door firmly behind him.

When he came out, showered and feeling a little bit better, it was to find his bedding changed and Bruce laying on top of the clean covers on the side Tony didn't, his book in hand and a glass of water on the bedside table.

"What… what are you doing?"

"Since you decided you weren't sleeping, I thought I'd keep you company," Bruce murmured lightly, looking over the top of his book at Tony.

Tony stared at him for a moment before he shrugged, climbed on the bed beside Bruce and ordered Jarvis to put a movie on.

When Tony woke up, his head was on Bruce's chest, and he was wrapped up in two warm, strong arms, feeling safer than he could ever remember. Bruce was still sleeping, and since he had no idea how long either of them had been asleep, Tony stayed where he was.

With Bruce's aversion to touch, he didn't know when he'd next get to indulge in such a luxury.

…

Tony woke suddenly, wondering what had woke him up. He didn't have to wonder, because a moment later, he heard a shout, and a bang. Leaping out of bed, he crossed the divide between his own and Bruce's rooms.

Bruce was thrashing around in the bed, his face pained.

"Bruce," Tony called quietly, repeating it louder when it made no difference. Approaching cautiously, Tony kept calling his name until he was right beside the bed. He reached out to stroke the hair away from Bruce's face.

The touch seemed to do what the sound of his name didn't and Bruce woke up, gasping. Tony sat on the side of the bed and took Bruce's hand between both of his.

"You're okay, Bruce," he murmured. "It was just a nightmare, you're safe, everyone's safe."

"Tony," Bruce whimpered, pulling Tony closer and into a bear hug, his grip almost enough to bruise. "You… you were, and the other guy, and you, and he, he hurt you, Tony, he hurt, and I -"

"Hey, hey, I'm here. Nothing has happened to me, Bruce, and the other guy likes me, you know. Almost as much as you do. He wouldn't hurt me, Bruce, no more than you would," Tony comforted.

Bruce didn't reply, but his grip didn't ease and Tony was content to stay where he was for as long as Bruce needed.

Slowly, the grip changed into a caress, and Tony shifted slightly so he was laying more comfortably on top of Bruce.

Bruce moved one of his arms from around Tony and cautiously used a finger to tilt Tony's head up to his, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss.

When they separated, Tony beamed at him.

"You really are mine, aren't you?" Bruce mused, his voice filled with wonder and awe.

Tony nodded. "Unequivocally."


End file.
